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Board hears about chronic absenteeism; district outlines LEAP grant and trauma supports
Summary
Board members raised concerns about high chronic absenteeism and teacher absences; district staff described a new LEAP attendance grant, two attendance engagement specialists (one bilingual), a trauma specialist and partnerships with child‑guidance and behavioral‑health providers.
Board members pressed district leaders about chronic absenteeism and its contribution to lower test performance during the Sept. 3 Instructional Committee meeting. Several trustees noted elevated absenteeism rates at the high‑school level and questioned what the district is doing to help families and encourage attendance.
Missus Latour said schools operate attendance teams and emphasized multiple factors that compound absenteeism, including housing instability, food insecurity and mental‑health issues. She introduced Missus Turner, who described two new operational elements funded this year: a LEAP (Learner Engagement Attendance Program) grant that adds two attendance engagement specialists (one bilingual) and a trauma specialist who will receive referrals and work directly with families to improve engagement.
Turner said the LEAP specialists will provide low‑level outreach — visiting homes and helping families understand school expectations — while the trauma specialist will work with families whose children have deeper attendance barriers related to trauma. The district also reported building‑level efforts such as increased communication with families through ParentSquare, school PTO engagement, and family letters tied to curricular units to encourage involvement.
Latour and Turner described community partnerships with youth and family services, child guidance, and Connecticut Behavioral Health to provide in‑school counseling, trauma supports and substance‑use services for families that cannot access outside care. Latour added that although the state collects truancy data, current state and district emphasis is on chronic absenteeism as the measure that most closely correlates with student growth.
Board members also raised teacher attendance as a related concern; district personnel said human‑resources and principals are working to identify supports so staff can reliably be present and healthy. The presentation closed with a commitment to continue monitoring attendance metrics and to provide school‑level updates to the board.
